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In Sri Lanka Calling this week we are proud to announce that Sri Lanka is leading a global “Carbon Free Destination Initiative: A Tourism Earth Lung” and was also the recipient of the Montreal Protocol Implementation Award. While policy makers led, the young followed and two Sri Lankan students from the coastal tourism town of Negombo were winners in the Asia Pacific Regional Ozone Quiz Competition.
We also feature news of ‘Volunteers for Sri Lanka Tourism’ taking on the role of peace ambassadors on World Children’s |
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Day, Hindu religious festivities in Colombo, Sri Lankan hotel serving the ‘Fortress Stilt Fisherman Indulgence’; the most expensive dessert in the world, Chinese University students of the Sinhala language being delighted on a tour of Sri Lanka, a land like no other. |
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‘At the 2nd International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism organized by UNWTO together with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) supported by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Swiss Government held in Davos, Switzerland, Sri Lanka Tourism announced the initiative "A Tourism Earth Lung – Towards a Carbon Clean Sri Lanka" a bridge across the trade-off between environmental awareness and tourism's pro-development potential. As a small country which depends heavily on long-haul travel to generate tourism income, Sri Lanka is facing up to the climate challenge and aims at becoming the first carbon neutral destination. As its tropical forest systems can store large amounts of carbon which otherwise would add to the CO2 in the atmosphere, Sri Lanka aspires to be a travel and tourism Earth Lung. Sri Lanka is also home to the 'Sinharaja', a virgin rain forest which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
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The National Ozone Unit of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Sri Lanka was awarded the Montreal Protocol Implementation Award for achieving the targets set by the Montreal Protocol in facing out ozone depleting substances. Montreal Protocol is the landmark internationally recognized treaty to protect the ozone layer and to date, 191 countries have signed the Protocol and are actively engaged in phasing out the production and consumption of ozone depleting chemicals. Sri Lanka has been at the forefront in sharing the experience and lessons learned with other countries in the region has been instrumental in promoting regional cooperation for the management of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) and other environment related issues.
D M N C Kolambage and S Sudarshani Madumali Silva from Maris Stella College in the coastal tourism capital Negombo, did Sri Lanka proud when they were placed 2nd in the Asia Pacific Regional Ozone Quiz competition for schools, confirming Sri Lanka’s long term and futuristic commitment to conservation of our environment.
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‘Volunteers for Sri Lanka Tourism’ worked hard for months to host a group of 46 students comprising Tamils from the North, Muslims from the East and Sinhalese from the border villages, in commemorating World Children’s day on October 1st, in Colombo. The programme commenced on 30th September after the students from Jaffna completed a 17 hours journey by ship to Trincomalee, to join the children from the East prior to departure for Colombo. For most of the students it was a first time visit to Colombo and the tours and events organized for their benefit were relished etching in their young minds positive imagery of the south and its people. The activities included interactions with students from schools in Colombo, a day at the Mt. Lavinia Hotel and beach, cultural performance at the Indian Cultural Centre, a cricket tournament, a puppet show, a magic show and visits to the Zoo and other places of interest. The six day visit helped the children to forge friendships beyond geographical boundaries through interaction which created awareness and understanding.
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The department of Hindu Religious and Cultural Affairs of the ministry of Religious Affairs and Moral Upliftment will lead Navaraathri celebrations in Sri Lanka at the New Kathiresan Hall in Colombo on 18th and 19th October and further festivities will be held throughout the island and also at the Sri Lanka Hotel School premises in Colombo and Anuradhapura. |
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Priced at USD 14,500, ‘The Fortress Stilt Fisherman Indulgence’ is a combined effort by the resort’s culinary team to create a one of a kind dessert that is intrinsically linked with the destination, offering both long lasting memories and a keepsake of the experience.
Available now on special request, the dessert’s inspiration comes from the resort’s logo of the ‘stilt fisherman’, a centuries old fishing practice that continues to this day and can still be seen along this spectacular coastline. A combination of a gold leaf Italian kasata flavored with Baileys and served with a |
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mango and pomegranate compote and a champagne sabayon enlighten, forms the base of this delicious desert, an 80 carat aquamarine stone nestled on the handmade chocolate stilt fisherman adds to the glamour and is the keepsake to reminisce this one of a kind experience. |
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23 Students and 3 lecturers from the Beijing Foreign Languages University were on a ten day tour of Sri Lanka on a goodwill and understanding building effort, jointly organized by the Chinese Foreign Languages University and the Department of Modern Languages of the University of Kelaniya. On this their first visit to Sri Lanka the students travelled from Colombo to Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Matale, Sigiriya, Hikkaduwa, Galle, Ratnapura, and Udawalawa.
At a luncheon hosted by the Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism they expressed in Sinhala their deep appreciation of the tourist attractions in Sri Lanka. |
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Please note that a major web upgrading initiative of Sri Lanka Tourism is also underway. We call on all tourism industry stakeholders to keep sending us snippets of news so we could include them in the weekly newsletters, we will bring to you on an improved format.
Sri Lanka Tourism wishes to thank all stakeholders for their wonderful support and assistance and wishes to invite them to get involved with 'Sri Lanka calling'. Please send your articles to stories@srilanka.travel
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